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Taking an active role in assessing and protecting the mangroves fringing Daintree's rainforests and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The exotic Daintree River, with its unique combination of World Heritage rainforests and Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef, is a haven for rich mangrove forests and crystal-clear waters. Exploring the river by boat and on foot, participants assessed the condition of the fringing mangrove habitats by conducting surveys, filming the shoreline, measuring habitats, and conducting field biomass assessments.

They met with the Kuku Yalanji people, the traditional inhabitants of this area, at Mossman Gorge and learned about indigenous cultural heritage, the dreamtime narrative of the rainforest, and the people’s special relationship with the environment. The Kuku Yalanji people described traditional uses of rainforest plants, identified bush food sources, shared their legends, and explained the history and significance of cave paintings.

On this research project, participants helped gather valuable information on the health of one of Australia’s iconic estuarine systems, which was used to develop a national strategy for more effective management of valuable coastal tidal wetlands faced with climate change and local human pressures.

Lead scientists

Accommodation and food

Why the research is important

Why the research is important

To protect the Daintree and the Great Barrier Reef, special attention to the condition of coastal mangroves is required.

A dedicated team of researchers assessed the condition of the Daintree region, an Australian tropical wilderness.

Australia’s Daintree region is a wet tropical wilderness teeming with natural wonders among extensive pristine rainforests and lush mangroves. To protect the Daintree and the nearby Great Barrier Reef, we paid special attention to the condition of coastal mangroves.

The mangrove forest is a distinctive community of trees and shrubs that grow in sediments along tropical and subtropical seacoasts. Mangroves play a crucial role in protecting coral reefs by buffering shorelines from storms and floods and filtering runoff from the land––earning them the title of “kidneys of the coast.” Without mangroves, the reef would not exist as we know it. Mangroves also absorb a vast amount of greenhouse gases––up to five times the amount absorbed by land-based tropical forests. Severe storms, land clearing, use of pesticides, and global climate change reduce the capacity of mangrove systems to respond to change. To help preserve these systems, managers and scientists required knowledge of their condition and how they are changing in response to such stressors.

Gathering valuable information on the health of one of Australia’s iconic estuarine systems.

On this expedition, volunteers joined experienced scientists from James Cook University to assess the condition of mangrove forests in the Daintree River estuary and disseminate their findings around the world.

About the research area

Just to the north of Cairns is the Daintree rainforest within the wet tropical World Heritage area. With an area of approximately 460 square miles (1,200 square kilometers), it is the largest single block of intact tropical rainforest in Australia. The area, protected under World Heritage listing, is one of the best examples of a tropical environment in the world. The rainforest has about 120 days of rain per year, falling mainly in the hot months from December to April.

The area has the greatest concentration of rare and threatened plant species in the world, including species from 12 of the 19 primitive plant families on Earth. These ancient families may hold answers to a number of questions regarding the origin of the flowering plants, on which the human race depends for food and medicine.

The Daintree rainforest has 33 species of mangrove, which provide habitat for rare animal species and abundant birdlife. The forest has 30% of Australia’s frog, reptile, and marsupial species, 65% of its bat and butterfly species, and 18% of its bird species. There are also over 12,000 species of insects. All of this diversity is contained within an area that takes up 0.1% of the land mass of Australia.

Daintree River, North Queensland, Australia

Daily life in the field

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Cairns to meet the team, drive to Mossman Gorge and take an indigenous cultural walk, continue on to the Daintree and settle into accommodations

Day 2: Presentations and introductory cruise on the Daintree River

Days 3–4: Fieldwork and data entry

Day 5: Recreational day

Days 6–9: Fieldwork and data entry

Day 10: Departure back to Cairns

Earthwatch participants began their expedition by being given an overview of the project and an introduction to the location, meeting some of the local people, and receiving a safety briefing. Then, they were introduced to mangroves, learning about their tidal wetland habitat, their benefits, their vulnerabilities, their current status, and the threats they face. Volunteers were trained in the use of video cameras linked with GPS and learned how to measure forest biomass, the amount of carbon in biomass, forest demography, and forest turnover processes.

Throughout the expedition, participants rotated through different activities, and many even became skilled and specialized in a particular subset of activities.

ABOUT Norm Duke

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations and Food

Eco-friendly village

Swimming pool

Friendly social area

You’ll stay at Crocodylus, an eco-friendly village situated amid the Daintree rainforest in Cow Bay. The accommodations consist of wooden and canvas bungalows fitted with fans and mosquito nets. The bungalows are open plan, each with six bunk beds and one double bed.

All meals will be catered by Crocodylus. Breakfasts will include either cooked meals (eggs, bacon, etc.) or fruit and muesli. Packed lunches consisting of sandwiches, fruit, and drinks will be taken into the field each day, and dinner will be served at the Kingfisher Café at Crocodylus.

You can spend your free time relaxing at the Gecko Bar or in the friendly social area, which has a snooker table, dart board, reading area, and swimming pool.

Rainforest Accommodation

Crocodylus, an eco-friendly village situated amid the Daintree rainforest.